13 Chapter 13: Redhead

Minutes before Ares arrived on Olympus…

"Is this how you do it Brontes?" A young girl asked, striking molten alloy on an anvil fresh from the forge.

"Yes that's correct Hephaestus." Brontes replied standing over the young girl, a smile on his face. "Your motions could be smoother but I expected as much, your just learning after all. With time I'm sure you'll grow to reach or even surpass me." He finished chuckling softly, hands on his hips.

At a height of 4ft5in, Hephaestus has shoulder length red hair flowing from her head, and her skin is lightly tanned with a heart shaped face and an eye that held a red iris and black pupil. She wore a blue peplos with golden hammers going around its collar, and a black eye patch with intricate golden designs covering her right eye, mirroring her teachers cyclopean appearance.

Swinging her hammer with vigor, sweat dripping from her face onto the molten alloy causing smoke to fill the air with steam, Brontes could only display a small smile towards his young disciple.

He remembers the time he found a young redheaded girl peaking into the forge as he worked, her eyes following each strike, awe evident. Brontes didn't mind her peaking in fact. He enjoyed the company since no one ever really interacts with him.

As a child of Gaia, even though he didn't participate and actually helped in the war, most Gods on Olympus still hold animosity towards the children of Gaia. The Titanomachy took many Godly lives, with some relatives still alive on Olympus. The only real reason Brontes and his brothers aren't currently held in chains in the deepest pits of Tartarus is because of the weapons they made. Weapons that won the Gods the war.

Over time Brontes came to admire the attention the young girl was giving to his craft. Everyday she would come and visit him while he was working, never actually interacting, she would just silently watch Brontes work.

At first, she began watching him from the door, and then slowly began moving closer and closer until one day she was directly next to Brontes, feeling the same heat he felt. It was then he asked her name and parentage. To say he was surprised was an understatement. 'She really went and did it. I thought she would have given up.' Brontes thought to himself.

He knew about Hera and her woes and to him she was acting dramatic, but it wasn't his place to question his Queen.

Suddenly, Brontes was pulled out of his trip down memory lane by a voice that sounded all too familiar, "BRONTES!!"

Brontes is sure the whole Olympus heard his name being called. If they didn't they sure felt it as the whole mountain shook briefly before stabilizing. "Ares." Brontes said, a smile on his face. 'I guess it's time.' He thought, inwardly excited at the thought of his soon to be creations.

"Ares?" Hephaestus asked, her voice filled with excitement, and a cute smile on her face. 'Brother is finally here.' She thought to herself, hearing her mother talk about him quite frequently.

"Let's go!" The smiling Hephaestus excitedly shouted, grabbing Brontes's hand, dragging him to where the voice was heard. "HAHAHA!" Brontes laughed heartily as he let the small girl pull him by the finger.

——

Arriving through the portal from the underworld with Praeco and Primo under his arms, Ares was greeted with the shocked, and somewhat terrified faces of some minor Gods and nymphs.

"What are you all looking at?" Ares asked, his voice was calm but every word was laced with small amounts of power. Putting down Praeco and Primo, the former quickly transforming and nestling into her favorite spot, Ares dismissed the onlookers and began to look around.

Oak and ash trees were spread along paths of smooth white stone leading to various white temples of all sizes made with the finest of stones such as quartz, granite, and marble. Golden statues of Gods like Zeus, Hera, Demeter, and the others we placed sporadically along these stone paths decorating small grassy hills that had multicolored flora and fauna dotted throughout.

Frowning, Ares thought to himself, 'Why didn't he send me to Brontes if he knew where I was going.' Ares wondered. 'Maybe I should learn how to portal or teleport.' Ares shrugged his shoulders at the thought and climbed atop Primo who seemed to be having a conversation with Praeco, before he leisurely began walking to the forge.

While riding Primo to the forge, Ares found something strange. 'Ive been gone for over a century. I would've thought my mother, with the personality she has, to smother me into her bosom as soon as I stepped foot on Olympus, but she hasn't. As a matter of fact, no one has come to greet me, not even Nyx. I know they heard me. I made sure of that.' Ares thought to himself, but didn't dwell on it for much longer as he had more important things to think about. 'I wonder how fast my weapon can be made? Would Brontes let me watch the process? Would he teach me?' Ares wanted to learn blacksmithing as it would give him an advantage on the upcoming adventures he's thinking about taking. 'A God of War who can forge his own weapons, wouldn't that make me a Blacksmith God too?' Ares wondered. 'And speaking of war, has the golden apple incident taken place yet? I hope so. As the God of War it's pretty shameful that I haven't been in one. Wait! Who cares if it hasn't happened. I'll manipulate a war myself. I'm itching to hear war cries and see legends made.' Ares thought to himself, a new goal in mind, and a smile creeping onto his face.

"Does he know where he's going?" Ares asked Praeco, his head tilted slightly upwards. "Yes master, while you were in deep in thought I briefly told him about Olympus and the directions to Brontes's forge." Praeco replied happily, Ares could feel her snuggle deeper into his hair. "Thanks." He replied, a gentle smile on his face. He might be the God of War but everyone's a softy for something.

Suddenly, Ares felt Primo stop and start to growl at someone with hostility. A redheaded young girl maybe 4, just under 5ft was stood frozen in front of the trio.

Ares and the young girl began to analyze each other, both feeling a sense of familiarity. 'No way…' Ares thought. 'How?' He knew who this was but what shocked him was the appearance. He didn't expect Hephaestus to be a girl, and from Dan Machi no less. 'I wonder what else is different.' Seeing as Hephaestus is not the one he thought would appear Ares wondered if all the Gods and myths were as he remembered.

"Are you my brother?" Hephaestus asked, anticipation and nervousness heard in every word. Looking Hephaestus once over, not answering her question, Ares glanced to side where he could see Brontes who was not too far behind Hephaestus smiling and out of breath?

Turning back to Hephaestus, Ares decided to play with her a bit, "Who are you? I don't recall my mother having another child besides myself." Ares asked, his face stern and eyes cold.

"I-I am Hephaestus, daughter of Hera, your younger sister. Mother told me I was created the same way as you were but because Lady Nyx helped mother, instead of a baby like you, I was born already a child."Hephaestus finished her head down, afraid that Ares would reject her. Her mother said that she's sure Ares would accept her as she was family. Once Ares heard of her lineage he would laugh and welcome her with open arms. 'I hope so mother.' Hephaestus thought to herself, her head still down.

And that's when she heard it. Just like mother said Ares began to laugh, "HAHAHA, mother missed me that much huh? Praeco go with Brontes and give him the chalice. In the meantime I'll be taking my little sister to where our mothers are. When you finish come find us; I'm sure it won't be hard."

Praeco followed her masters orders and flew from his head onto the shoulder of Brontes. "Well what are you waiting for?" Ares asked Hephaestus who was still stood frozen and her eyes wide, not completely understanding what's going on.

Grabbing Ares' outstretched hand Hephaestus was pulled onto Primo's head and between his horns siting just in front of Ares. "Now while we go to where mother is, why don't you tell me about yourself." Ares suggested to Hephaestus. Finally coming out of her stupor she replied with much excitement, "Yes! And you have to tell me stories too brother!" Her grip tightening on Primo's hair causing him to let out a sad grunt. Chuckling softly Ares replied, "Yes, I will do that. Now let's go, I'm pretty sure there are people waiting for us.

(A/N: Going to take a couple days off so I can fully map out the story and characters. I kinda write this chapter to chapter, and this leads to discrepancies. So in order to combat that I'll be mapping out the characters and future timeline. Thanks for the support!)